Game Day Round 1, 2026 - Sydney vs. Brisbane Lions

[ZoBlitz]

What’s the best way to carve wood?

Whittle by whittle.

 

[harvester]

Go lions!!!
I'm Looking forward to see Annabelle and Draper playing tonight. Good luck team

 

[Sproj]

What do we make of Marshall not making a team this depleted?

 

[Squizz89]

Just have to get the game over and done with. Hopefully we get through unscathed and then hit the reset button and start the season again after the week off.

Ideally we don’t get pantsed, but my biggest hope for this game is just honestly no more injuries/silly suspensions.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Going in with very low expectations

Which would make a win all the more delicious

 

[braddsey]

What do we make of Marshall not making a team this depleted?

Well he’s not a key back, he’s not a key forward, and Annable is probably the better prospect.

 

[Nathan Barley]

What do we make of Marshall not making a team this depleted?

Annable vs Marshall is interesting with the option to play Levi on the ball. Maybe losing 2 on ballers in Clug and Bailey made us want Annable’s contested work

Then also Berry, Levi and Reville are probably better wings

Not the worst thing for Marshall to work on his contested game in the reserves

 

[Ceebee]

I feel quietly confident .

 

[Grasshopper17]

Kind of looking forward to the game in a strange sort of way. One of very few games in recent seasons where we go in with minimal expectations and everything's really a bonus. A free hit in every sense of the phrase.

Everyone's pretty much said it: much will depend on our midfield to probably dominate stoppages and also defend better from a structural perspective than we did last week. The mismatches in our backline shape up as being hilarious.

By hook or by crook we're back to our usual 4 talls forward of half back (assuming ZZ plays defence) so it will be interesting to see if this aids our defensive setups.

Just hope we can be competitive and not be disgraced or embarrassed like Carlton were last week.

 

[briztoon]

Annable vs Marshall is interesting with the option to play Levi on the ball. Maybe losing 2 on ballers in Clug and Bailey made us want Annable’s contested work

Then also Berry, Levi and Reville are probably better wings

Not the worst thing for Marshall to work on his contested game in the reserves

I would have Marshall as a better winger than Levi. But Levi is more versatile and the better player overall, who can go forward and inside.

If Berry was out for an extended period of time, I’d have Marshall in his place.

 

[M Malice]

Lester(190cm) > Curnow(194cm)
ZZ(196cm) > McDonald(195cm)
Fletcher(184cm) > Amartey(195cm)

Maybe Tunstill(187cm) plays back.

If needed drop OA or Ty back, Draper and Fort will need to be on their bikes dropping back in defence as well.

If switched on I'm confident our group up the ground can stifle the quality of their entries to help our undermanned backline out.

 

[martinson]

We'll give it a red hot go tonight because we love these situations.

Realistically there's a lot that could go wrong but I'll be very surprised if we're not in it.

Cut them off at the head if we can.

 

[Grasshopper17]

Lester(190cm) > Curnow(194cm)
ZZ(196cm) > McDonald(195cm)
Fletcher(184cm) > Amartey(195cm)

Maybe Tunstill(187cm) plays back.

If needed drop OA or Ty back, Draper and Fort will need to be on their bikes dropping back in defence as well.

If switched on I'm confident our group up the ground can stifle the quality of their entries to help our undermanned backline out.

Surprised to learn McDonald and Amartey are the same height. Amartey certainly seems to play taller. I'd be starting ZZ on him and whoever we decide is the third to McDonald.

Obviously they will give Heeney patches up there as well. Dunkley might just have to go with him the whole game.

 

[Squizz89]

Heeney is the sort of guy who should be licking his lips when he looks at our lineup tonight. He usually plays well against us anyway, but there doesn’t seem an obvious match up for him down back, especially with it being all hands on deck elsewhere.

If we get smacked out of the middle like we did for large periods last week and they then have the luxury of playing him forward for longer, he should be thinking 3+ goals with that undermanned defence.

Goes without saying every week, but it’s even more relevant tonight, if the midfield turn in an effort that they are sometimes prone to, it could get real ugly. If they show up like they are also prone to in games where people write us off, well we might make a game of it.

 

[Happy_Neale]

What do we make of Marshall not making a team this depleted?

Still got our wingers, I think he’d be next in line if Berry or Bruce went down

 

[Happy_Neale]

Heeney is the sort of guy who should be licking his lips when he looks at our lineup tonight. He usually plays well against us anyway, but there doesn’t seem an obvious match up for him down back, especially with it being all hands on deck elsewhere.

If we get smacked out of the middle like we did for large periods last week and they then have the luxury of playing him forward for longer, he should be thinking 3+ goals with that undermanned defence.

Goes without saying every week, but it’s even more relevant tonight, if the midfield turn in an effort that they are sometimes prone to, it could get real ugly. If they show up like they are also prone to in games where people write us off, well we might make a game of it.

With Lester having to play key back Fletcher could go with Heeney if only focused defensively IMO. He gives us a lot the other way though so would cost us some rebound

 

[Squizz89]

With Lester having to play key back Fletcher could go with Heeney if only focused defensively IMO. He gives us a lot the other way though so would cost us some rebound

Think the only way we have a chance is go all out attack. We still have enough offensively and through the middle to do enough damage, so I’d be reluctant to take away Fletcher’s offensive game. Minus Hugh, he’s probably in our top 2-3 accurate kickers out there tonight, think we need to optimise that. You’re right though other than him the cupboard is bare re the Heeney match up.

Whilst not ideal I wonder if Noz goes to him when he goes forward and someone else (Motty/even Tunstill perhaps) picks up Papley? Whilst Papley is obviously dangerous in his own right, I think we’d have better options to try and lock him down as opposed to Heeney, with Answerth our only true lock down defender tonight, and even he might be a little undersized for it. We miss Starce in this regard along with everyone else obviously.

 

[Warwick]

This is going to get ugly.

 

[harvester]

This is going to get ugly.

It could do, but I feel this game can set us up for the season. Personally I'm looking forward to them singing the song after the game

 

[Darren Downunder]

This is going to get ugly.

We’re definitely underdogs.
But you never know… a lot of guys with a point to prove.
I expect the players on the field will give it their best shot and you never know your luck in a big city.

 

[Saucery]

This is going to get ugly.

 

[Saucery]

All I want to see is system and intent, that's the true measure of depth.

 

[Gadzorks]

We were always going to start the season slow, is our thing. This time we have the excuse of a deleted back line.

So all good, a win would be amazing but not the end of the season if we get thrashed.

 

[Thedeftouch]

This is going to get ugly.

Agreed, we are going to just dominate the midfield, 2024 grand final flashbacks.

 

[Elixuh]

Just looking forward to seeing my boy big drapes out there dominating